CANADIAN CARDIOVASCULAR
PHARMACISTS NETWORK (CCPN)/RESEAU CANADIEN DES
PHARMACIENS IMPLIQUES EN SOINS CARDIOVASCULAIRES (RCPC)
GENERAL PORTFOLIO
CCPN/RCPC Mission Statement:
Our mission is to optimize the health outcomes of Canadians with or at risk for
cardiovascular diseases by promoting excellence in clinical practice and research and
enhancing the knowledge and skills of pharmacists and their colleagues through the
advancement of the pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases.
CCPN Strengths
Established in 1996, CCPN is an independent group of approximately 20 pharmacists
from across Canada with cardiovascular specialty practices. CCPN has members
involved in a variety of practice settings including acute cardiac care, interventional
cardiology (percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiac surgery), cardiac transplant,
inpatient general cardiology and cardiac research. CCPN also has members who direct
and practice in a variety of outpatient clinic settings including heart failure, lipid,
transplant, rehabilitation and thromboembolism.
A number of CCPN members have university appointments with the Faculty of Medicine
and Faculty of Pharmacy. In addition many members are educators/preceptors in
undergraduate, postgraduate and hospital residency programs. All CCPN delegates are
members of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Many members have developed a
leadership role within the profession of pharmacy.
CCPN has conducted and published independent research in the field of cardiology and
has produced numerous tools for use by pharmacists in their daily practice as well as for
patients to assist with adherence to prescribed treatment regimens.
More information can be obtained on our website, www.ccpn.ca.
What Are We Asking of our Partners?
To create partnerships with CCPN/RCPC to further cardiovascular therapy across
Canada through development of educational documents, practice initiatives, educational
symposia and through the support of research initiatives. CCPN participation will be
dependent on whether the endeavor is in support the CCPN mission statement and does
not have the appearance of biasing professional judgment.
Our directives for document development and participant honorariums will govern
funding.
CCPN PORTFOLIO SPECIFICS
1. Educational Symposia
 Annual Cardiovascular Conference (ACC) at Lake Louise, Lake Louise, AB
 2008 – Optimizing Adherence Workshop
 2007 – Challenging Situations in ACS Workshop
 2006 – Clinical Pharmacology Workshop: A Clinical Approach to
Predicting and Preventing Drug Interactions with Cardiac Medications
 2005 – CCPN Pharmacotherapy Workshop – Common Problems with
Drug Interactions
 Contemporary Therapeutic Issues in Cardiology and Nephrology (1998 to
present) (collaboration of the Toronto area Hospitals and CCPN)
 CCPN Western Contemporary Cardiovascular Therapy Fall Symposium (2001 to
present)
 CCPN Atlantic Canada Fall Symposium – 2006-present
 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists Professional Practice Conference
symposiums
 2008 - The Shocking World of Atrial Fibrillation
 2007 – Pharmacist Guidelines for Hypertension and Dyslipidemia
 2006 – Practice Solutions to Cardiac Dilemmas: Three case-based
examples
 2005 - Bridging the Care Gap between Clinical Practice and EvidenceBased Medicine: A Focus on Atherothrombosis
 2004 – Current Canadian Hypertension Guidelines: What are the roles of
the pharmacist?
 2004 – Optimizing Antiplatelet Therapy
 2002 – Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management: An Update for
Pharmacists
 2001 – Advances in Fibrinolytic Therapy: The Search for the Ideal
Pharmacologic Regimen
 2000 – Lipid Lowering: The Importance of Pharmacist
 1999 - Optimizing Drug Therapy in Patients with Acute Coronary
Syndrome
 1998 – Current Trends in the Management of Heart Failure
 1997 – Present and Future Applications of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor
Antagonists
 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists – Annual General Meeting
Symposium
 1997- Current Trends in Management of Heart Failure
 Canadian Clinical College of Pharmacology (CCCP) Meeting symposiums
 2001 – Advances in Fibrinolytic Therapy: The Search for the Ideal
Pharmacologic Regimen
 2000 – New Paradigms in Acute Coronary Syndromes: Use of 2B/3A
Inhibitors in Clinical Practice
 1998 – Antiplatelets versus Anticoagulants for Acute Coronary
Syndromes: A Debate
 Canadian Pharmacist Association
 1998 – What is Hot and New in Heart Disease
2. Document/ Educational Material Development/Projects
 Antithrombotic Guidelines Pocket Reference. 2008
 Going Home with antiplatelet therapy after insertion of a coronary stent – Patient
adherence bracelet kit. 2008 (sponsor: Sanofi/BMS)
 Pharmacist Dyslipidemia Resource Management Kit. 2007-8 (sponsor: Pfizer
Canada)
 Antithrombotic Guidelines Pocket Reference. 2005
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About my Acute Coronary Syndrome: Your personal companion for life after
ACS. Endorsement and editing of documents. 2005 (sponsor: Sanofi and Bristol
Myer Squibb)
Cardiovascular Action Program. Endorsement of Patient Information Pamphlets
for heart attacks, stroke and PAD 2004 (sponsor: Sanofi Synthelabo)
Home from the Hospital Discharge Kit for Acute Coronary Syndromes 2003
(sponsor: Sanofi Synthelabo)
ACS Booklet and CD-ROM 2002 (sponsor Merck Frosst)
Present and Future Uses of Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Booklet. 2002
(sponsor Merck Frosst)
Optimizing Drug Therapy in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes: A selfdirected video-based continuing education program. Video (2 module set). 2001
(sponsor Merck Frosst)
Antithrombotic Guidelines Pocket Reference. 2001 (sponsor: Dupont Pharma)
The Use of Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor Antagonists in Management of
Unstable Angina and Non ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction – A Critical
Evaluation. Booklet. 2000 (sponsor: Merck Frosst)
3. Current Research Initiatives
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Same Med Study - Ongoing 2007
The Accuracy or Patient Weights Used for Dosing of Weight-Based
Pharmacologic Agents in Acute Coronary Syndromes. Completed 2006
Patient Knowledge of Self Care Activities in Congestive Heart Failure (PakSAC)
Completed 2004. (Publication: TBA)
4. Practice Guidelines
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2007 Guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia and prevention of
cardiovascular disease by pharmacists. CPJ 2007;140(6):383-8. (Pearson GJ,
Thompson AE, Semchuk W.)
Canadian Cardiovascular Society Consensus Conference recommendations on
heart failure update 2007: Prevention, management during intercurrent illness or
acute decompensation and use of biomarkers. Can J Cardiology 2007;23(1):
21-45. (Tsuyuki R)
Canadian Cardiovascular Society position statement – Recommendations for the
diagnosis and treatment of dyslipidemia and prevention of cardiovascular
disease. Can J Cardiol 2006;22(11):913-27. (Pearson GJ)
5. Publications
 Margaret Ackman, Wendy Gordon, Heather Kertland, Don Kuntz, Jennifer
Pickering, Ann Thompson on behalf of the Canadian Cardiovascular Pharmacists
Network. Patient tool in combination antiplatelet Rx. Resource kit supports
seamless care in ACS. Can Pharm J 2004;137(9):31.
 Shalansky S. et al. Access to new cardiovascular therapies in Canadian
hospitals: A National Survey of the formulary process. Can J Cardiol
2003;19(2):173-179.
 Paradiso-Hardy F. et al. The importance of in-hospital statin therapy for patients
with acute coronary syndromes. Pharmacotherapy 2003; 23(4): 506-513.
 Pharand C. et al. Use of OTC and herbal products in patients with cardiovascular
disease. Ann Pharmacother 2003; 37: 899-904.
6. Poster Presentations
 GJ Pearson, C Pharand, RE Smith, SJ Shalansky, W Semchuk, The Accuracy
of Patient Weights Used for the Dosing of Weight-based Pharmacologic Agents
in Acute Coronary Syndromes Can J Cardiol 2006:
Poster presented at Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2006, Vancouver.
 Margaret Ackman, Wendy Gordon, Heather Kertland, Don Kuntz, Jennifer
Pickering, Ann Thompson on behalf of the Canadian Cardiovascular Pharmacists
Network. Seamless Care Initiative for Patients on Combination Antiplatelet
Therapy (2004) Can J Hosp Pharm 2004;57(suppl).
 CCPN/RCPC. Developing a Collaborative Working Group to Advance the Role of
Pharmacists in the Care of Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. (2001-2002)
 Shalansky SJ, Tsuyuki RT, for the CCPN. Access to New Cardiovascular
Therapies in Canadian Hospitals: A National Survey of Formulary Process.
Presented: The Canadian Cardiovascular Society 53rd Annual Meeting.
Vancouver, BC; October 29-November 1, 2000. Published: Can J Cardiol
2000;16(Suppl F):117F-118F.
 Shalansky SJ, Tsuyuki RT, Virk R. Access to New Cardiovascular Therapies in
Canadian Hospitals: A National Survey. Presented: The Canadian Association
for Population Therapeutics. Banff, AB. April 1-3, 2001. Published: Can J Clin
Pharmacol 2001;8:24-25
 CCPN/RCPC. Non-Prescription Drug Use in Cardiovascular Patients in Canada
(1999-2000) Can J Cardiol 1999;15(supp D):162D